A recent decision of the Tax Court illustrates a concept whose importance is only matched by the universality to which it is ignored. The case of Lichtman involved a number of Orthodox Rabbis teaching at an Orthodox Jewish school in Vancouver. The Rabbis claimed what is known as the “Clergy Residence Deduction” and ultimately lost their case.

Many larger charities are structured in such a way that there is a head organization with subordinate divisions operating below it. For example, a charity that operates across the country may do so by way of local ‘chapters’ overseen by a main organization, or a religious governing body may have several related parishes.

Not-for-profits should continuously assess current and emerging issues to determine whether to take a stand or policy position. Emerging issues may be strategically important to the organization and are often time-sensitive; the opportunity to take a stand on an issue may be fleeting because attention may soon be re-directed to something new. Not-for-profits will need […]

On November 14th, Bill 154 received Royal Assent. As noted previously, this omnibus bill made changes to the Corporations Act (Ontario), to social investment provisions in the Charities Accounting Act (Ontario), and other statutes. Some of the more significant changes to the Not-For-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 (“ONCA”) are reported here, none of which are in force today but will be when ONCA comes into force. As you may recall, ONCA was passed in 2010, but it will only come into force on a day to be named. The government plans to bring the ONCA in force in early 2020.

Raffles (or, properly speaking, raffle lotteries) can be a fun, efficient, and relatively non-labour-intensive means of making moderate amounts of money for a not-for-profit or charity. Did you know, however, that the regulatory framework governing raffles (charitable gaming) ultimately flows from the Criminal Code?

Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) are an innovative way for organizations to practice Socially Responsible Investing (SRI). Canada joins other jurisdictions like the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia, in investing in SIBs.

Directors simply cannot benefit from the property of a charity whether registered or not, either directly or indirectly. This article explains why and details recent amendments to Ontario’s rules to allow charities to pay directors for goods and services rendered.

Most accessibility standards requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) are now in effect for large and small organizations in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors across Ontario.

The Benchmark calls on businesses to implement corporate responsibility to respect human rights under the UN Guiding Principles, and to study the 2017 Benchmark report to see where improvements can be made.

All of these tips seek to offer ways to make policies and procedures better, but the most important tip is that policies and procedures should not be managed in a vacuum. They are an important element of an effective compliance program without regard to what compliance guidance your organization follows. Ignoring policies can negatively impact compliance conduct, training, monitoring and auditing, investigations – and most importantly and ultimately – the reputation of an organization.